Blending Afro-Mexican rhythms, hip-hop beats, and impassioned social justice, Las Cafeteras takes folk music to the future
From Afro-Mexican to Americana, from soul to son jarocho, from roots to rock and hip-hop, Las Cafeteras takes folk music to the future. Experience the East Los Angeles Chicano indie-folk band’s energy-filled live show at the Moss Arts Center on Tuesday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m.
Born and raised east of the Los Angeles River, Las Cafeteras remixes roots music to tell modern day stories. With vibrant Afro-Mexican rhythms and powerful messages, the band delivers inspiring songs documenting the stories of a community seeking love and justice.
Using traditional instruments like the jarana and requinto (Mexican ukulele-sized guitars), quijada (donkey jawbone), and tarima (a wooden platform), the modern-day troubadours sing in English, Spanish, and Spanglish. Combining son jarocho (regional folk music style from Veracruz) with rock and a heaping spoonful of impassioned social justice, Las Cafeteras uses music to build bridges among different cultures and communities.
The Los Angeles Times described Las Cafeteras as “uniquely Angeleno mishmash of punk, hip-hop, beat music, cumbia and rock … live, they’re magnetic.”
The group’s celebratory sound and energy have carried it around the world, playing shows from Bonnaroo to the Hollywood Bowl, WOMAD New Zealand to Montreal Jazz, and beyond. The band has performed in the good company of Mexican icons Café Tacuba, Natalia LaFourcade, Lila Downs, and Gypsy Kings; Colombian superstar Juanes; hip-hop artist Common; Los Angeles legends Ozomatli and Los Lobos; and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
Related events
Prior to the performance, Rebecca J. Hester, associate professor in the Department of Science, Technology, and Society, will lead “Immigration Policy and Possibilities” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 26. This pre-show talk explores policies, practices, and possibilities in immigration reform around the globe.
During their visit, members of Las Cafeteras will connect with Virginia Tech students through an Introduction to Latino American Studies class visit, where they will perform and speak with students about the cultural roots of their music and social justice advocacy efforts. as well as in an interactive workshop hosted by El Centro, the Hispanic and Latinx Cultural and Community Center, focusing on how music has been used as a tool globally for liberation and dismantling oppression.
Las Cafeteras will also perform a free matinee show at the Moss Arts Center for students in grades PK-2 — largely from Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Floyd, and Giles counties — and followed by a post-show discussion with Virginia Tech staff in conjunction with the university’s diversity education program, “Culture and Context Through the Arts.” The musicians will also give a free in-school show for students at Pulaski County High School.
Tickets
Tickets for the performance are $25 for general admission and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Moss Arts Center's box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.
Venue and parking information
The performance will be held in the center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall. Convenient parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street and in downtown Blacksburg. Find more parking details online.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jamie Wiggert at least 10 days prior to the event at 540-231-5300 or email wiggertj@vt.edu during regular business hours.
